Steel building construction



Jan. 13,1942. 9. \l. PALMER STEEL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 10, 1939 Palmer;

IN VENT OR. M

V/Lncem mm ATTORNEYS .ments.

Patented Jan. 13, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE g f smog-1s fa e screen BUILDING CONSTRUCTION GeorgeWificentiPalmer, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application August 10, 193.9, Serial No. essuao '1 Claim. (o1.1s9 s4') This invention relates to steel .building construction, .1 and pertains particularly to :a sectional metal wall construction useful-'inithe construction of vertical, horizontal, :or :intermediately linclined surfaces, such as walls, .roofs and the like.

One of the particular objects of this invention .ist 1;o provide an inexpensive construction capable 10f facile assembly in the field with the use of unskilled labor, which is structurally adequate as well as resistant :to' weather.

A further particular object of the invention is to provide a sectional metal building construction comprised of a plurality of elongated separate metal building elements disposed in contiguous alined relationship to form .a structural surface and intersecured-through the agency of structural elements extending transversely to the length of such separate building'elements adjacent the longitudinal end portions thereof,

together with an improved form of flashing means extending adjacent the contiguous edges of suchseparate elements to provide an effective sealing thereof against the intrusion 'of "the ele- A further object of the invention ,is to provide animproved formof flashing meansror sectional metal building constructions, which is adapted to provide an inherently effective, pro.- tection against the elements at the position of the joints between adjacent sectionalmetal elementsof the construction; which is .of high inherent elasticity vsoyas to-impart a broad. lateral tolerance in thefitting of adj acent. sectional :ele-

.ments; which eliminates the necessity forthe provision of interlocking seams or the like at the contiguous edges oi the several adjacent .sec-

tional elements of the construction; which provides for the formation :Oi demountable build- .ings with the elimination oftovereall superficial weatherproof coverings; which inherently provides adequate. attachmentto the sectional building elements without the. necessity of accessory bolts, screws, welding or the like, ,and so rsh'aped gasyto resist removal by .a pull. away from :the plane of thestructure, through the agency of a transmission of the applied stresses in such manneras to increase the inherent tendency of the flashing means to persist in place on such sectional elements by compressional engagement thereof.

The sectional metal building construction of the present invention comprises, essentially, a plurality of preformed elongated metal elements arranged in contiguous alined relationship to form a wall (the term wall being used herein in its broad :sense to include vertical, horizontal, or intermediatelyinclined surfaces), each of said 'metal elements being provided with stiffoiling-portions projecting outwardly of the plane ofsuc-h wall and extending longitudinally of such element in spaced relation adjacent the la-teral edge portions of such element," together -with flashing means extending adjacent the ipOSitlOn of the juncture-of adjo-ining edges of contiguous elongated metal elements, and in compressional engagement with suchoutwardly projecting stiflening portions of such elements. The :flashing means preferably comprises an elongated element formed of sheetmetal or the like, shaped into :a channel-like cross-sectional configuration, the flange portions of the channel being bent away from the web portion thereof ate :iairlysharp angle and extending slightly convergently' toward one another, and the web portion of the channel being deformed symmetrically outwardly from the plane defined by the junctures .of the web and *flange portions of the channeLnat the ide thereof opposite the :web portions.

Other objects and vieatures. of i the invention will be brought out in the ensuing description of certain preferred embodiments thereof, or will be apparent from such description; these embodiments are illustrated in :the accompanying drawing, and referring thereto:

in its relation to a plurality of sectional wallelements in such a roof structure; w

'Fig. 3 15a partly broken-awayperspective view of a roof structure of the type shown in Fig, 2',

and I 1 Fig. 4 is an endelevation of a flashing element of modified type according to this invention.

Referring to Figs. 1 t0 310i the drawing, the structure of the present invention may comprise a plurality of sectional metal wall elements [,2 and 3, arranged in contiguous alined relationship to define the roof plane. The sectional elements .maycomprise aflat plate portion 4 having cooperating .male-and-female flange membersat the respective lateral edge portions and extending longitudinally of the elements, and a stifiening member I of undulating shape secured to the flat plate portion in any suitable manner (as by spot welding) and defining with said plate portion a plurality of longitudinally extending hollow cells H. The stifiening member I is preferably so undulated or corrugated as to define upstanding rib portions 8 extending transversely outwardly from the plane of the wall structure as defined by the flat plate portions 4. At the juncture A between two adjacent sectional elements I provide a flashing member adapted to shield the joint from the weather, and, as is particularly illustrated in Fig. 1, this flashing member may comprise an elongated channel-like member 9 provided with a web portion t and two depending flange portions ll extending convergently toward one another, the vertical height of such flange portions being preferably somewhat less than the upstanding height of the ribs 8 of the stiffening member 1 with which the flashing member is to be asso-' ciated. The web portion [0 of the channel 9 is deformed upwardly away from the plane defined by the corners or bends occasioned by the formation of the flanges ll, preferably in the form of two inclined wall portions Ill terminating in a peak or apex [2, the purpose of which will be brought out hereinbelow.

The flashing member 9 is applied to the outwardly spaced rib portions 8 of two adjacent hollow cells H by forcing the flange portions I I down over the cells, the application of a nominal pressure at the apex I2 being suflicient for the purpose. It will be appreciated that as pressure is applied downwardly upon the apex l2, the flanges II will tend to be forced outwardly of one another upon a resilient deformation of the web portion 10, making the application of the flashing a very simple matter. At the same time, if it is attempted to remov the flashing from the roof by pulling up at the apex, the flanges II will be forced toward one another, causing an increased compressional engagement of the. flange tips lZa with the ribs 8, thus strong-1y resisting the removing force. In use, when wind blows into the space M below the flashing means, creating a positive pressure within such space tending to lift the flashing from the roof, this increased compressional engagement of the flashing upon the roof elements will prevent the flashing from being blown away,

In actual roof constructions it will be appreciated that the panels I, 2 and 3 will be secured to the wall or some other relatively fixed portion of the building, and I have illustrated such an attachment as being through the agency of a plurality of bolts I5 securing the panels to an angle iron or the like IS. The structural attachment of the panels to the member l6 serves to positively fix the panels against lateral movement, thus providing opposition to the compressive tendency of the flashing member 9. The flashing member is appreciably resilient with respect to lateral deformation, and may therefore be relied upon to take care of variations in the lateral placement of the panels with respect toone another, thus increasing the manufacturing tolerances in the formation of the male-andf'emale interlocking means indicated at A. It has been found that in some constructions a male-and-female interlocking construction is not essential, inasmuch as the protective effect of the flashing 9- is adequate. In such cases the latter edges of the panels may merely be overlapped, or abutted, as will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

It will further be appreciated that the flashing members 8 may be nested Within one another, for the purpose of shipping or the like, and that this nesting may be relied upon to superimpose one end of a superior flashing in overlapping relation to an inferior flashing, much the same as shingles are overlapped upon one another, wherefore the flashing members may be utilized in relatively short length which are conveniently handled, while at the same time providing adequate protection for roof surfaces of relatively long span in the direction of the longitudinal length of the panels.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated a modified form of flashing member at 20, comprising an arcuate web portion 2| provided with depending flange members 22. In this form of the invention the arcuate web portion is deformed symmetrically away from the plane of the member defined by the salient corners made by the downwardly bent flange portions, at the side thereof opposite the position of such flanges, in the same manner as in the case of the member 9.

Other modifications and features of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and I do not choose to be limited to the specific embodiments of the invention herein delineated and described, but rather to the scope of the subjoined claim. The application of the flashing member of this invention to roof panels of modified form will also be apparent, and it will be appreciated that the showing of the instant form of sectional panelling is exemplary only.

I claim:

A sectional metal wall construction embodying a plurality of elongated sectional metal wall elements arranged in contiguous alined relationship to form a structural plane, and provided with joints at the adjacent edges of the alined elements, each of said elements being provided with rib portions projecting outwardly of such plane and extending longitudinally of such elements in spaced relation adjacentsuch joints, and a flashing member comprising: an elongated sheet metal member of generally channel crosssectional configuration, provided with a Web portion and two spaced depending flange portions normally converging toward one another, said web portion being deformed outwardly from the plane of said member as defined by the junctures of the web and flange portions, at the side thereof away from said flange portions, and said flashing member being attached to said metal wall construction by compressional frictional engagement of said flange-portions upon said rib portions at opposite lateral sides of the position of a joint accompanied by a resilient deformation of said web portion, with said web portion in outwardly spaced relation to such joint and being held in such engagement by the resilient forces built up in said web portion by such resilient deformation.

GEORGE VINCENT PALMER. 

